Updates about Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (NWFBIA)

[HelenM]

I caught part of a radio ad this morning touting the new airport/Southwest and it sounded like they have added more new routes - Chicago Midway and another I didn't catch were mentioned in addition to Nashville, Baltimore, Houston, and Orlando.

P.S. Other airlines should take note - I am just one of the people loving their new ad campaign about "take my bag, not my money."

I love that ad campaign too! Flying Southwest could save a family of 3 about $300 roundtrip by not paying for luggage!

 

[scooterbug44]

I really don't think it is at all unreasonable for me to be able to check one bag that easily meets their size and weight guidelines for free (that really just contains all the stuff I can't take through security) in return for me only carrying on one small bag and/or personal item that I stow below the seat.

And if the airlines think I am not adding 10-15 pounds of extra stuff to my bag and using them as a shipping service because it galls me to pay extra for this "service", they obviously have not been paying attention.

On the plus side, people across the country are enjoying all the specialty food items, gifts, and books I bring when I MUST check a bag.

 

[beachmouse]

When an airport has "international" as part of the name, all that means is that there is onsite Customs available.

There are plenty of small border region airports that serve less than 20K commercial passengers a year that are 'International Airports' because the guy who mows the grassy areas next to the runways and cleans the toilets is also appropriately credentialed to serve as a part-time customs official when someone at the airport needs that service.

 

[Will B]

There are plenty of small border region airports that serve less than 20K commercial passengers a year that are 'International Airports' because the guy who mows the grassy areas next to the runways and cleans the toilets is also appropriately credentialed to serve as a part-time customs official when someone at the airport needs that service.

I have no reason to doubt that. I'm giving the FAA's criteria for an airport being designated as "international". I guess that, technically, if you are scrubbing a toilet at that airport then Customs is technically on site.

 

[DuneLaker]

The wrong rocks under runway!! What?

I am going to come back in my next life as a road engineer and add to that runway/airport engineer. How could they have the "wrong rocks" under the drainage system at the airport that could be a problem as discussed on the 6 p.m. news and cause delay for a crosswinds runway!! Good grief. I swoon knowing that they are going to be paving my road and changing the drainage. Yuck!!! I can't go into that here, wrong thread. But, how can they not have paved this airport area to the most exact, correct specifications?! Should be story in the morning papers. Will have to catch the news again at 10. (Thanks for posting the story this am Goodwitch, you too Kurt, so I could edit airport runway to airport drainage area. I was listening/watching while posting on SoWal at 6 and ended up not watching again at 10. I had paving on my mind.)

 

[MaryAnne]

Been following this thread for 15 or so months. After reading 495 replies, this Texan who drives 12 hours, can't wait for the airport to open. Even if there aren't as many Texas license plates in SoWal this summer, do know that our $$$$ are happily going in SoWal's tax coffers! We Texans happily give out tax $$$ to SoWal.
As I was going to my school the other day, I was behind 3 cars that had 30A decals on the back window. I was the third! I have about 85ish days till we are basking in the sun in SoWal! See you then!

 

[GoodWitch58]

Airport board learns of new problems | problems, airport, west - News - The News Herald

Hopes for a renewed discussion about building a crosswind runway at the new airport were dashed Tuesday when the Airport Authority board learned that millions of dollars might be needed to fix the site?s stormwater drainage system.

With just 40 days remaining before a scheduled May 23 opening, $4 million in specialized sand in a large filtration pond might have to be replaced. In addition, the wrong type of crushed rock was used for the support of more than 6 miles of under-drains.

 

[Kurt]

TDC official hits the road for new airport | official, airport, panama - News - The News Herald

The executive director of the Bay County Tourist Development Council has been earning his share of frequent flyer miles recently, promoting the opening of the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport.

Besides already having visited New York, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Houston, Dan Rowe is planning upcoming trips to Nashville, Tenn., and Orlando, talking to local newspapers and lifestyle magazines and giving interviews on local television stations.



.....

“That is what we are all about, telling the world about the new airport and Panama City Beach,” Rowe said. “There is a lot of interest in the opening of the new airport.”
Rowe is not the only regional tourism official on the road talking up the link between new airport’s potential and Southwest, which has started airing television commercials promoting Northwest Florida in key markets.


Butch Spyridon, president of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau, recently spoke to the Walton County Chamber of Commerce about travel opportunities a new non-stop route will open between the new airport and Nashville, a city within which Southwest, the nation’s largest domestic airline, has operated for 15 years.


Southwest Airlines and TDC officials signed an agreement in November 2009 that coordinated spending local bed-tax funds with Southwest’s efforts to market the area.



A month later, Southwest announced it would operate eight daily nonstop flights to the new airport from Orlando, Nashville, Tenn., Baltimore and Houston, four “gateway” cities in which a strategic marketing message would appear.

 

[Kurt]

Southwest Airlines Commercials Sell Panama City Beach

As the Airport Authority races to complete the project by May 23rd, Southwest Airlines is already [COLOR=darkgreen ! important]selling[/COLOR] the new destination all over the country.
Bay County Tourist Development Council members received an update Tuesday on the latest marketing efforts for the area.


Southwest is currently running two commercials highlighting Northwest Florida's 17 hidden beaches, accessible through one destination, Northwest Florida Beaches International.
Southwest filmed the commercials a few months ago in various locations around town, featuring real Southwest employees.
They are hoping these advertisements will attract even more people with their low costs and zero baggage fees.
Some of the money collected through the TDC's 5th cent [COLOR=darkgreen ! important]sales tax[/COLOR]funded the commercials.

 

[Kurt]

I am going to come back in my next life as a road engineer and add to that runway engineer. How could they have the "wrong rocks" under the runway that could be a problem as discussed on the 6 p.m. news!! Good grief. I swoon knowing that they are going to be paving my road. Yuck!!! I can't go into that here, wrong thread. But, how can they not have paved this runway to the most exact, correct specifications?! Should be story in the morning papers. Will have to catch the news again at 10.

More Drainage Issues at New Airport Site

"It could be no problem, it could be serious."
That's Airport Authority Chairman Joe Tannehill's assessment of the potential issue involving the backbone of the underground drainage system laid out over a substantial part of the airport property.


Contractors buried the maze of large pipes, then surrounded it with rock. But, instead of using hard, durable rock, workers apparently used a softer rock, which could deteriorate over time.


"It could be something that will require us to take a lot of rock, 80,000 cubic yards of rock out and put harder rock in," commented Tannehill.
Before they begin digging up asphalt, grass and concrete, board members want to test the rock to answer some key questions.


"The question is, the rock that is put in there, after testing, how long is it going to last? Is it going to be 50 years, 100 years, is it going to be 5 years?" asked Tannehill.



"That will be an issue for the engineers to address. I don't think it's quite that severe of an issue at this point in time," said Airport Authority executive director Randy Curtis.



The other issue is who's responsible for the error. Board members say they don't know who's at fault, or why they are only hearing about it now.


"The one consistent fact that's out there is it's either the engineers or the contractor. That will play out as we go into mediation, further discussions," Curtis said.



Despite the concerns, board members say it won't delay the airport's May 23 opening. But, it could delay other projects.


Because of the potential costs of replacing that soft rock, Tannehill now wants to put discussions of a cross-wind runway on hold.


"I'd like to say I deferred it," said Tannehill. "I'll probably be pushing the cross-wind runway after I go off the board."


Tannehill and Vice Chairman Bill Cramer's terms end in June.


Board members will hold a special meeting next week to further discuss the issues, including sand problems in the stormwater drainage system.
On a related note, contractors say they have finally managed to grow grass on the airport site -- about knee-high in some places. They say they went out of the design specs to find a solution.